


Understanding

by EMOtional



Series: Cold as the North [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Rhaegar Won, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Rhaegar Targaryen Lives, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EMOtional/pseuds/EMOtional
Summary: Sansa does not understand why her husband Jahaerys won't speak to her. They have only been married a week, but it seems as though he would much rather spend time with her siblings rather than her.Rhaegar lives we don't see him in this fic. Elia and her kids were still murdered and Lyanna died in child birth. Also Jon is Jahaerys because how messed up is it to basically name your kid after your first born.
Relationships: Jon Snow/Sansa Stark
Series: Cold as the North [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1655215
Comments: 15
Kudos: 198





	Understanding

**Author's Note:**

> can be read as a one shot but will probably make it into a series. Lmk what you guys think!

He’s not what she expected this husband of hers. Sure he is polite and courteous and gives her a wide berth. As though she may run away if he spent too much time with her, but that is not the case with her siblings. He is closest with Arya for reasons unknown to her. They seem to flock together these beings of who do not fit into what station they have been placed. Jahaerys may be a Prince and Arya a Lady, but that does not suit them as much as it should. Arya being her wild and unmanageable self and Jon… Well she is not sure what he is meant to be if he were not a Prince. Perhaps a warrior or a sell sword. He is sullen like a man who has already been to war and knows of death. Sansa shakes her head at the notion. 

No he is a Prince and because he was the only child left of Rhaegar Targaryen Jon is now heir to the throne. Meaning she is to be Queen when King Rhaegar finally leaves this world. She doesn’t want it. She wants to remain in the North and never leave. Bad things happen to Starks who go south of The Neck. Bran was supposed to follow her and train to become a part of the Kings guard, but he hasn’t been himself since his fall when the Baratheon’s and Lannister’s visited years ago. The next option would have been Rickon, but he is currently being fostered in the Eyrie with her Aunt and Uncle Arron.

She begged her father when she first heard of her engagement to call it off by any means necessary. He declined saying that this is what she wanted that she would be Queen. She hasn’t wanted to be Queen since she found out what happened to all the Queens before her. Dead before their time. Abused, discarded, unwanted. What was the point of being a Queen if you were unloved by your King? Tossed out at the first sign of someone better.

It was too late now though. Her and Prince Jahaerys were now wedded and bedded and while she tried to get to know him he had been less than cooperative in the manner. 

They were leaving in a fortnight to begin a tour of the Kingdom. The people must know who their future rulers are of course. They would begin on the Kings road travelling to the most important and worthy of houses as they end in Dorne and then begin sailing for Blackwater Bay to be received by the Royal family. At least that’s how the trip is supposed to go from what she can assume. No one has actually thought to mention it to her. 

Sansa continued on with the needle work of her night shift. She has now run out of topics of conversations that can be brought up with her Husband and she has resigned herself into possible sparking a conversation when they retire to their bedchambers this evening. Her needle work impeccable as always with wolves and dragons chasing each other. Hopefully it can show Prince Jahaerys that she is trying to accept her role as wife to him. She doesn’t know any other way she can convey it to him if he won’t have a bloody conversation with her. She finished the last of her work a few hours later and decided that she would stroll around Winterfell trying to preserve all of it to her memory. She would rarely come back to her home once she left for Kings landing. She was about to pass the courtyard and enter into the Godwoods when she noticed her Brother and Husband were training together. She paused deciding it would not be a terrible idea to gain a sense of how formidable her Husband actually was in fighting.

He was formidable opponent that she can be sure of if nothing less. Fighting both Robb and Theon at once, armed with only a sword and shield. She may not know much of fighting finding it distasteful, but at the very least she could even see how strong her husband was. It was a summer snow still, but he still was only dressed in a long tunic and he’s pants showing that he was at least a strained by the activity. It was only a few minutes after she arrived that he managed to disarm Theon and level his sword to her brother’s neck winning the sparring and rousing a laugh from Ser Rodrick and how easily Jahaerys had managed such a feat. He had grabbed a rag by where Arya and Bran had placed themselves to watch such a performance. She couldn’t make out what she was saying, but no doubt she was asking if he could train her to fight like him. She hadn’t realized she could be seen as staring until he looked up and saw her. She must have had a blush so fierce when he wave that she fled back inside the castle without thinking how rude it would be that she hadn’t waved back at him. She didn’t even see the confused look on his face or hear how Robb and Theon both immediately burst out laughing and the sight. 

It wasn’t until dinner that she had seen Jahaerys again hiding herself in different places in the castle every so often so that no one would be able to pin her to one place. She’s not even sure why should have been embarrassed at the thought of being acknowledged by her Husband it was a perfectly normal thing that happened between man and wife often enough. Still it confused her he didn’t even speak to her why would he choose to wave at her when they couldn’t even have a damned conversation. She sat there at dinner to the right of Jon as he sat in his place of honor being of the highest rank at the table without actually being lord of the castle. She kept silent enough tired of having to try and pull a conversation out of him what was the use when he kept it stilted. They were having a Goat stew this evening kept herself to chewing as slowly as she could so that if he did try and start a conversation she would not seem as eager to participate as she felt. He stole a few glances at he throughout the evening, but choose to remain silent. Dinner came to an end sooner than she would have liked and even though she did not resent him she felt it all the same when he rose and waited for her to take his arm so that they may retire together.

As they were walking down the halls leading to their shared bedchamber as was the decree of the King when they married. Him desperate for Heirs to marry off and secure alliances with those who he wronged when he went to war. Sansa decided she would at least try to talk with Jahaerys. Now that they were at least more alone than they have been in a while she gathered as much courage as she could and spoke to him for the first time today.

“You are an excellent fighter My Prince. I have never seen any person defeat two men at once especially not Robb or Theon.”

“Thank you my lady and it was no true fight we were simply testing the waters of each other. See who could best each other.” He glanced down at her offering a small smile before glancing ahead.  
“I also noticed Arya was down with you. Has she managed to con you into teaching her how to sword fight or is she merrily there to observe?” He seemed surprised at that shocked that she was actually aware of her sisters fondness for fighting. She laughed at the look on his face. A soft laugh not meant to offend, but she covered her mouth and looked down all the same.

“Not much goes on in this Castle without my knowledge. I’ve lived here for years I understand how my family works.” She smiled softly at him hoping he saw that she can possibly joke with him.  
“Your sister has spirit to her. She says she wants to travel to Bravos and train with the faceless men. Whoever they are.” They made it to their shared rooms, and she called on a maid to help her undress for the evening. Wearing the shift she had just finished earlier, and her hair taken down and placed into a loose braid. She wrapped a robe around herself planning on reading by the fire before she actually retired to bed, but was stopped short of doing that when she saw her husband. Her maid had already left scurrying out the door as she often did leaving her utterly alone with her husband. He was just sat in the chair next to the fire reading what looked like a letter. Form who she was not sure. She grabbed her book before sitting opposite to him and began reading about the history of the Targaryen’s again. It would do well for her to make sure she knew all of her husband’s history as well as she knew her own of course. After he seemed done reading the letter he took out his sword from where he had placed it for the day and began sharping it and inspecting it for damages it may have suffered during the training yard from earlier in the day.  
He hadn’t bedded her since that first night they had been married. It was only a week ago and while it hadn’t been unpleasant for her she has no idea what he thought of it. Clearly he had to be unsatisfied with her if he won’t couple with her again. She would ask, but it was not what a Lady ought to do especially and Princess. What would her mother or Septa think of her if she was to speak of such things with her husband? She was hardly even reading her book now. This was the first time that they actually retired together since their wedding night and she had no idea how to hold herself. Was she supposed to continue a conversation with him or was she simply supposed to go to bed? She closed her book giving up reading for the evening announcing that she will now be going to bed and that he was welcome to join her if he wish. There an open invitation one that can be accepted or not. She took off he robe placing it on the rack next to her bed and got in back facing him so that she might be able to feign sleep.

She must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing she knew she was curled up next to her husband. Him with his nose against her neck, legs intertwined, and arm wrapped around her. This is different. Normally she went to bed before him and woke after him. She never knew how they slept. It was almost intimate. She grabbed his arm and held it close to her chest. Sleep had never come easier to her before.

When she woke again it seems that she had trapped her husband from leaving the bed. Her practically atop him making it impossible to leave lest he wake her. Her hair was out of its braid as well. Did it come apart during her sleep? It was still in a braid when she woke the first time. She felt a small tug. He was playing with her hair. She blushed at the thought. No one had ever touched her hair like this outside of her mother when she was a child. She glanced up and he had his eyes closed still. The only sign that she had that he was even awake with the hand entangled in her hair. She was about to return to sleep when he spoke.

“You were not what I was expecting when I was informed that we were to be married.” She stilled. Daring to barely breathe as he continued.

“I was told that you were as cold as the North itself, but that you were pretty enough. That I was fortunate enough to marry you. They said you were dutiful and beautiful, but they never spoke of your kindness. Or how smart you are though you never let anyone see it. I was caught off guard and I didn’t know how to respond to it.” She was quiet playing with the tie of tunic so that she didn’t have to acknowledge right away that she heard him.

“You weren’t what I expected either.” She said it barely above a whisper. A moment passed before he started laughing. She pushed herself up to look at him surprised. She defiantly wasn’t expecting that either. She didn’t even know that he knew how to laugh.

“My Prince-“

“Please, it’s just Jon.” 

“Alright… Jon. It suits you more than Jahaerys.” He looked at her then almost fondly. He kissed her forehead. Before wrapping his arms around her holding her close before they drifted off to sleep once again.

**Author's Note:**

> lmk where you want me to focus there travels cause I think ill skip the iron island and the storm lands, but ill defiantly do it if you want.


End file.
